Saturday, April 30, 2011

Oh, How She Doth Love...

or is she just a hoarder???? That's the question. Even though we are lucky to see 50 I decided to pack away my heavy, dark sweaters so I had to pull out my tank tops. I counted.....23 solid colors (included 4 black and 4 dark brown) and 16 printed tops. :-O That count does not include the dressier tops that I have hanging in the closet. Oh, 'woe is me'. Yes, I will be going through them as I wear and determine what to keep and what to donate. How many black & white tops does a person need??? I am kind of anal and 'need' to have the perfect shade of green (or whatever color) to match what I am wearing. This is probably more than you needed to know...but it's my life.

My New Love

Don't worry, CHOCOLATE, no one will every overtake my love for you! I am liking the new Greek yogurt that I have been hearing so much about. I have tried the Dannon & Yoplait brands. The Chobani I just purchase so haven't tried it yet. I prefer the fruit flavors, no blueberry please (altho maybe I should try it).





I think the Greek yogurts are smoother and have a more 'mellow' flavor.


And they are great for eating in front of the computer while you blog and check email in the morning,,,that is, unless you have a piece of chocolate friendship bread nearby.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Time's a Wastin'

How do you waste your time? Is it really wasting time?
Monday I wasted time while I was sitting & reading in the sunshine on our deck, something I often do in nice weather. But I don't think it's wasting time......I NEED quiet time, alone, with the sun. I'm a happier person if I am not 'peopled out'.
Watching TV is another way I waste time, and I think of it as a true time waster. Generally I am doing something when I sit in front of the 'boob tube'. I often write letters, read magazines, talk on the phone, sort things, etc. when the TV is on. I never have TV on during the day and in the summer is comes on much later in the evening...."when it's dark, it's night and safe to turn on the TV but when it's light outside it's time to do things".
But my real time waster is the computer and my NOOKcolor. My laptop is on my kitchen table so it's soooooooooo easy to peek at it and end up staying for an hour (or 2). On the positive side it's really nice to be able to look up a recipe and have it right here. I like allrecipes, it allows you to have your personal recipe book online. http://allrecipes.com/ I use to have to print the recipe, bring it upstairs, and then I'd loose it anyway, now it's easily accessible. The other night I was tired but wanted to check email so I took my laptop and sat in my recliner in front of the TV and was there until almost 1am...........I am usually in bed before 10pm. After that I couldn't sleep so I had the TV and my Nookcolor on until about 2am. :-( Several nights ago I was trying to figure out my email on my ereader and ended up fooling around for over an hour there too.....I never did get it figured out so will have to call customer support. (heavy sigh)

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Goodies Galore



It feels like Christmas to me.........and I'm not talking about the weather (for a change-though I could, it's only 43 today). My house looks like spring, I have 3 containers of flowers: an Easter lily, a bouquet of sunny, yellow flowers from church, and a beautiful, multi colored centerpiece from Administrative assistants day. For Easter we received gift certificates from work and yesterday I got a different certificate for Administrative Assistants day :-) A couple of days ago the mailman brought me a free, full size foundation and lipstick to try and report on. Tuesday night at our National Red Hat Society Day banquet I won a raffle prize: a picnic basket with chips, pretzels, crackers, pasta, dips, sauces, (and what I really wanted) an Eleven Bean Soup mix. And I've been eating out a lot....which is also like a gift b/c I don't like to cook. We went out for Easter dinner, I had delicious dinner a the banquet on Tuesday evening, and tonight is book club at a restaurant (I have a gift certificate to use there). It IS good to be me!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

an Addiction to Sunshine

Have you read the title to my blog? CHOCOLATE; one of my many addictions? Yes, I have several....and one is sunshine. No, I don't bake in the sun to turn brown, I just love to soak up some rays, especially after a long winter, like this one. Finally it was a warm and sunny Monday and I was off. After I ran my errands (got some Easter candy 1/2 price at Walgreen's) I grabbed the magazine I picked up at the thrift store and sat outside for over an hour. The sky was so blue, the sun so warm, and it was so peaceful. I even ate my lunch outside.

Sunday we went out for Easter dinner with extended family and the some of them stopped over to visit. The kids played and the guys played cards. I made a really light, later supper before Jessica and her family went home. Fortunately I got the house 95% picked up before they were gone so I didn't have a big mess today.


You may remember that I have a Nook color....well, Monday the much awaited update came out. I updated mine as soon as I learned about it. I checked out the new apps and synched my email account...with a little trouble. I was on with tech support for 15 - 20 minutes and suddenly I had it completed successfully (and neither support nor I knew how I did it). I called support b/c it just would cooperate, I watched the video, read the instructions, and it still wouldn't work. I like my 'gadgets' so had to have this done!!! A couple hours later - Viola! It is done :-)


All of a sudden it was after 3pm and all I had done was washed the dishes.....better get something done before hubby gets home from work....I don't want him to think I sit on the computer all day...tho I did a lot of that. I put some Easter decorations away, scrubbed the kitchen floor, got the laundry washed and supper was cooking. :-)


I'm glad I took monday off to regenerate under the sun....thunderstorms on tuesday (when I'm at work).



Monday, April 25, 2011

the Easter Egg Hunt Was a Success

Actually I had 2 Easter Egg hunts: one on Saturday afternoon for 'the boys' and one on Sunday for M, who could not be here on Saturday. I wasn't sure if the weather wold cooperate or not, but the sun came out in the afternoon and it wasn't too bad out. Two of the grand kids playing in the sandbox on Sunday afternoon while we sat on the deck and watched. :-) I love doing that!!!

Baby L with his new bunny from Great-grandma.



M....this (2-1/2 yr old) girl never stops. Grandson J was so helpful with her, he hid the eggs and helped her find them.




The boy in the middle is our nephew...boys are 6, 7, & 7.



Some eggs were easy to find and some not so easy. We hid over 80 eggs for the boys; some contained quarters, candy, or small 'prizes'. I do not give the kids a lot of candy, they get enough from everyone else.


Saturday, April 23, 2011

I am overwhelmed

This morning I was up early (have a lot do to, it looks like the egg hunt might be held) and grabbed a cut of tea and turned on my computer.....I checked my blog and I am overwhelmed by all the comments on my last post. :-) Thank you for your comments and emails. Some were for and some against .....I totally understand. I appreciate knowing that you read my odd thoughts. Grandson J is very stubborn and has to learn that HE is not the boss, I know that. But grandpa gives orders "stop it now or else" and then walks away, he refuses to talk, whether to the child or adult. J needs to learn how to calm himself down and listen. It's easy to get along with agreeable folks........but not so much with the disagreeable ones. We had many of the same troubles with J's dad. :-(

I am so frustrated with myself, I tried on the dress I was thinking of wearing tomorrow and I look like a big, stuffed, old, matronly woman. If I don't like any of my other (few dresses that are all the same color-browns, black, with a little green or turquoise thrown in) I will be $@)*^$# and just wear pants! I think some day I am going to look for a dress that is pretty and looks good on me. I'll have to plan a shopping day out of town b/c we have nothing here. I also need to stop eating every sweet thing that is in front of me. What happened to that skinny girl who was a fussy eater???? yes, I was skinny and fussy.

It's only 7:30am right now and the sky is pretty gray, but the sun might peek out later and no significant rain is predicted and the boys are looking forward to the egg hunt so I hope to have it. I also invited our 7 yr old nephew to join in. The parents are invited for a late lunch after the egg hunt, but I doubt if the boy's parents will show up. I am making a very simple lunch of sloppy Joe's. I have 78 eggs to hide (after I took out a few to hide for (almost) 3 yr old M and some to put in my other grands baskets). Hopefully hubby will help me hide them. Before all the mayhem occurs I have to stop at the grocery store and buy some essentials....good thing there isn't a clothing store here or I'd be tempted.......

Once again thanks to all who stopped by and left a comment. I will be checking out your blogs!

Hope you have a happy and blessed Easter!!!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Was I Wrong?

This week is spring break......whatever happened to Easter vacation? When I went to school (a few years ago ***wink***) we had Christmas vacation and Easter vacation. Now it's called winter or spring break... Everyone wants to take advantage of these Christian holidays but no mention of Christianity is allowed, I just had to get that off my chest.

Today my grandsons (as per mom's suggestion) called and asked if they could come over in the afternoon. Of course I said yes. The plan was to spend some time at the library and then attend church. Grandson J needed to call 2 people to thank them for BD gifts......he called my friend willingly but when it came to calling great grandma he wasn't in the mood.....so I let him delay. When I finally made him do it he had a major fit..........he is EXTREMELY stubborn (the worst of mom and dad). Grandpa got mad, I 'm upset, J was bawling. Grandpa gave him an ultimatum, which J could not comply with so grandpa told him he couldn't go to church with me or come over on Saturday.....then he cried harder. I really try to stay out of the situation when grandpa gets involved. Later I walked into the living room and tried to get J to calm down. He finally was quiet and agreed to apologize to grandpa, but grandpa just yelled at him. Hubby says I baby him, just like I babied J's dad..???...we've had plenty of disagreements over him. :-( I guess I just feel for the 'underdog', I try to be compassionate. so..........against grandpa's wishes I took the boys to church.........I know K is mad b/c he would not even say good bye to J when he left, he had the door shut and only said good bye to grandson S. I've learned that it's best to let hubby calm down (same as it is with my grandson). I know it was probably wrong to have taken the boys to church when grandpa said he had to go home but I felt it was more important to calm J down (as opposed to taking him home screaming & crying) and try to explain things to him, and that he go to church. (Grandpa grudgingly said he didn't care, just before we left.)
What do you think?
thanks for helping me muddle through this

Sarah's Key

Last night I finished our book club selection Sarah's Key. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to read it, it was so sad how the Jews in Paris were rounded up by French police and sent to Auschwitz. It does tear out your heart in the beginning, it also shows a connection between Sarah and an American woman. I recommend it.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Gettin' In Shape

Yup, that's what we're all doin' in WI.....gettin' in shape with all the late April snow shoveling. It's HEAVY and about 4" deep so far. Ever seen thunder snow? Lots of it here this month. Looks like my Easter Egg hunt will be postponed. I planned it last year b/c I know Easter was going to be very late this year............who da thunk???


Tonight I made Easter crossword puzzles to mail to my daughters children.....I know, it's a poor excuse for an Easter basket...but it's easier to mail and I will deliver the baskets a week later when I go to see A's dance recital.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Oh Happy Day


I love a productive day! The laundry is done, the groceries have been purchased and I even brought my own bags & used coupons (no where near extreme couponing, tho I'd like a bill like that), I baked 5 loaves of Amish Friendship bread, the bathroom is clean, an apology has been left on person X's voice mail, the sun shines.............and it's still early :-) My compost bin is happy b/c I have been feeding it. The missing cards I made at Archiver's have appeared. I have in my possession a coupon for a FREE 8X8 photo book from Shutterfly (see the ear to ear grin) that I got at the grocery store. I picked up some $ from the consignment shop, supper is in the oven (hubby should be happy b/c I don't always cook), and there's still plenty of day left.


BUT, isn't there usually a but??? We are under a winter storm watch and 2" to 4" of snow predicted for this area. Don't the 'weather gods' know it's the end of April, Easter is less than a week away, and Easter Egg hunts are being held outdoors all over the state???

the Calm Before the Storm

That's what the weather man said this morning and it seemed appropriate for today's post. Weather today will be calm before a snow/rain/sleet storm hits us tomorrow afternoon through Wednesday. We're all getting cranky and have a bad case of cabin fever. Fortunately I have this sunny bouquet of flowers on my table to look at.

I am still plagued by my lack of relationship with person X, I really hate the cold war. I'd like to clear the air and move on. Yesterday's sermon said to forgive as Jesus as forgiven us....I'm pretty slow and stubborn so I may need a few days yet.


Saturday afternoon we went to a birthday party for 6 year old J (had a 1 hour notice??????) We'd never get away with giving them an hour's notice to come here. Oh well......


Sunday bff & I went to pick up my Girl Scout cookies from my son's daughter and leave the kids their Easter Baskets. YUMMMM .... 4 boxes of cookies, just what I need! NOT! My daughter in law made a delicious home made chocolate peanut butter cheesecake for us. It was much appreciated! She's a sweetie, I wished they lived closer so we could do things with them. My children's lifestyles are more similar to ours (quieter) than hubby's kids are....maybe it's the age difference. Later I stopped at my sisters to drop off her "Easter basket" . On the way home we stopped at Goodwill where I found this cute jacket, Bff found it first but it fit me better. :-). It's much cuter in person. I also found a Hawaiian type shirt for grandson J, he may or may not like it....no biggie b/c it was on clearance. I found a dress too (sadly it is black/cream - the main theme for all of my clothing since I am not a size 10 anymore). I can add color with a belt and shrug or sweater (it needs both). I got it b/c it is a longer length (which is what I prefer).

And now for Java's Meet Me Me On Monday http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-me-on-monday_17.html you can also click on the button on the right of my blog.

Questions:
1. Caesar Salad or Garden Salad?
Tuff one, I like both. When veggies are in season it is definitely a garden salad. I LOVE fresh tomatoes and grow some in pots during the summer.
2. Will you be watching the Royal Wedding on April 29th?
No, I might catch a few glimpses of it but I really don't care.
3. Last thing you spent lots of money on?
My credit card bill.............I don't spend lots of money at one time. I will have to pay for my Washington DC trip this summer.
4. Window seat or aisle seat?
Window, I like to look out, although I should take the aisle seat b/c I have long legs.
5. Do you know your blood type?
I think so.....O+....or whatever the most common type is. I do know that I have an antibody (anti kell, I think). When I was single I gave blood regularly and one time received a letter from the Red Cross and I was sure I had AIDs, I panicked before I opened it....but it only stated the name of the antibody. Whew!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Spring cards

Cut out the Big Shot and circle die. Isn't she cute??? MY kind of Easter card :-)
Love this one, simple and gorgeous.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Ava's Stuff

I did take time out to craft today in spite of my house being a mess. This is for my granddaughter, who is an artist and fashionista! :-) It's about 5" x 11" and started out as an ordinary box I received a delivery in. It's made in the same fashion as the Box of Blossoms I made at Archiver's. I'm hope she sees the art in it and not just that it's a ripped ol' cardboard box. It would be good on the night table for books, etc or on a desk for art supplies. I'll have to see what I can find to put in it. Her birthday starts off the birthday season here.......she's the first of my grand kids born in the spring. OK, now I have put away some of the mess I made downstairs............I am messy when I cook, at work, and craft....actually I'm just a messy gal.

Weighing My Options

Today is my day off and I really don't need to leave the house...and it's gray, windy, and cold out (33). Should I stay home and straighten up and then craft? OR should I drop off some stuff at church and then hit the thrift store? (both are nearby) After weighing my options I decided to take less than an hour and stop at 'St Vinnie's'. I'm glad I did. I ran into a good friend and she had some homemade Carmel corn for me :-) Yup! it's gone already. And I found some great bargains: A 'looks like new' dress shirt with tie, long sleeve polo, and had knit sweater....all for my grandsons. I don't know if mom will appreciate the hand made sweater for the baby, but I think it is adorable. I seldom buy things for the boys anymore. I also found a classic The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck. I am keeping a FEW classic books. The small shelf will be a home for some paper punches. A brand new photo frame and an adorable, beaded cellphone purse (which I have no idea what I will do with it.)
And some 'toys': glow in the dark necklaces & bracelets (always a hit the the younger crowd), reindeer rubber ducky, stretch book cover, Florida patch (to use in scrapbook), cut rock key chain, '40' pin (that I will re purpose using a technique I saw on one of the blogs I follow), wooden craft sticks that are for building things....(bridges? boys like to make things), and track ball (?) thingies.
All of these 'fabulous' items for........are you sitting down....................$7.35. Not bad, huh? Some days are worth it. :-) Now I will have some lunch and then clean up a bit so I can craft! I have a self-imposed rule that I have the house straightened up before I can 'play'.....I have been known to be a rule breaker :-0

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Monday, April 11, 2011

Meet a real Cowboy

Here is a very touching short video.


Meet Me On Monday

Here are my answers for Java's Meet Me on Monday questions.



Questions: 1. Who would be your dream celebrity date?


I don't pay attention to celebrities nor do I wanna go on a date. I know that sounds crass, but it's true.


2. Do you have any food restrictions?


Nope, unless you listen to my dr and she says to eat more fruits & veggies, fewer sweets.


3. How much time do you take to get ready in the morning?


My best guess is an hour, but I can be ready in 45 minutes, it all depends on my hair. The older I get the less I care about how I look. I ALWAYS wear makeup, even if I am not going anywhere. I am less concerned with my hair these days. I like windy days so I have an excuse for messy hair (that is almost true).


4. Sausage or bacon?


Turkey bacon, have my grandson hooked on it too.


5. Do you Google, Bing or Yahoo? Google

You Know It's Spring When.....

In the area I live you know it's spring when:
....the weather report states "10 degrees warmer away from the lake"
....you have the flashlight, batteries, and your radio handy
....there's a spot in the interior of your basement, away from windows, ready in case of a tornado
....you spend hours watching non-stop weather reports of a possible tornado and/or strong thunderstorms
And that is exactly what we did last night. The lightening was beautiful, I would have loved to stand outside and watch it, but I was afraid to. Our tornado siren went off twice last night but the storm quickly passed by us. We only got rain and lightening. I was able to go to bed at 10 and know it was essentially over for us. I will have to find out how my sister & daughter fared the weather. They live in different parts of the state. The silver lining is that we are finally experiencing upper 40's and even 50 degree temps. YAY!!!!!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I'm Thankful.....

I'm thankful for a lot of things....some BIG and some small.
I'm thankful.....
...that I have a 'smart' alarm clock that will reset itself after a power outage and when the time changes. I'm sure that feature will come in handy in the next few months, it's nearing the time of year for thunderstorms.
...for TV sleep timers. I often put my TV on a timer at bedtime and do it for grandson J too.
...for women friends. Whether I was dating or married my girlfriends always held/hold a special place in my heart. I'd never cancel a planned date with a g/f for a last minute date with a guy. Our husbands/men are important but their love & friendship is different from that of a girlfriend.
...for sunshine, books, and my deck. Our deck is not pretty but I love to sit outside and read or watch my gran kids play.
...for 9 beautiful and healthy grandchildren and their parents.
...that I am a Christian and that grandson J believes too. (He is not the only one who is, just the one I take to church.)
...for clothes dryers - I remember my mom struggling to hang out clothes in inclement weather.
...for chocolate, especially dark.
...for the ability to only work part time. These are just of the few things I am grateful for. Thanks for reading and please share what you are thankful for.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Friday's Fun

Yesterday my friend & I took a class at Archiver's, a scrapbook store. It was a very time consuming class (we did a lot of cutting). It was scheduled for 2-1/2 hours but we only got 2 projects completed, BUT we received all the supplies to make 3 A2 cards, 4 minis (including envelopes); also a Stella Rose 6 x 6 paper pack, a 12 page glossy 9 x 12 idea book with the directions for 20 cards. On the left is the 'Tim Holtz' tag, I did buy some of the tissue tape. The flowers are so easy to make with scraps: just tear into circles and crumple up for texture & interest. Put a button, gem, brad, or even a saying in the center. Here is the slider card, about the size of a thick candy bar. The orange polka dotted sides pull out. It's kinda tricky to figure out but once we were shown it's not bad. We did buy a kit to make more.
Here is the box we made....cheap! Take some cardboard and rip off the outer layer. Holes were punched into the corners of all the sides (not the bottom) and we tied it together with tulle (I think I should trim mine). We also learned how to make the spiral flowers, they are cute but impractical if you are mailing cards. Start with a torn circle and just keep tearing into a spiral. Wrap around a small paint brush or maybe you have a special tool (I can't think of it) for that. Hot glue or tape the bottom........and voila! you have a great flower.


We rushed home after the class so bff could pick up her son from work and then attend the Pizza party at a fellow Red Hatters home. It was a small group, we had tons of laughter :-) Janice is so upbeat, kind hearted, and bubbly....in spite of having a very rough last 12 months.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Follow Friday 40 & Over/Friday 56

Good Friday Morning! Click on the button to the left and you will be taken to Java's blog where you can link up to the blog hop. Visit as many blogs as you like and I'm sure you'll find some new friends.

Today promises to be lots of fun. First I am going to do a little shopping with bff and then making flowers at Archivers. Watch for a post of the beautiful things I made. When we get back it's Happy Hour at another friends home.

As you know, most places have 4 seasons.........here, near Lake Michigan, we have 5 seasons.... It may be spring in your area but it's 'cooler near the lake' here. It will be about 10 degrees warmer (inland) where we are going today. At least we will get to see some sun. It is the season I hate, I wanna be warm like everyone else but we may have fog and coolness. :-(

Now for the Friday 56: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence that grabs you. I am reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Have you read this book? I have only just started it. I can tell it is one that I don't want to read...it is so so so distressingly sad......
p. 56 "A middle aged woman quickly crossed the street and gently pressed something into her hand. It was a small roll of soft bread."
It was so hard to pick one sentence, I picked the only sentence on the page that showed some kindness....and it made me wanna cry too.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Once a Blond, Always a Blond

Actually I am not a blond, never have been. I'm a redhead, more of a strawberry blond now. Even though I color my hair to look more like my natural coloring I still have many 'blond moments'....such as this morning...... I couldn't find my keys, they were not where I normally put them....then the light bulb went on..."don't tell me I left them in the door". Sur 'nuff - I did!!! I'm glad we don't live in a high crime area. Usually my hubby finds them when he gets home, but he is still in AZ. I hate it when I do that.

A Day to Myself

Yesterday morning I promised myself that I could sleep in today....but if you check the time on this post you'll see that I did not....I was up about 4:30AM....not my usual m.o. But hey, it's my day off and I can do whatever I choose to.......I am selfish in that way.

Monday was kinda wasted, Tuesday I worked and had a Red Hat meeting. It was fun...we ate (one important item on our agenda), did the crossword puzzle I made up (see previous post in March), and decorated eggs. We have some talented and imaginative women in our group. My egg looked like crap....I had to laugh at it. I used some markers that didn't dry and the faced I drew on it smudged. Wednesday I worked, I didn't think I'd have anything to do....but whenever I think that TONS of things come up that I have to do. I don't mind at all, I prefer to be busy. Grandson J and I went to church for supper and service. He likes going on

Wednesday nights....not sure if it is b/c we get a piece for our cross every week or just the socializing. It's good to see him feeling comfortable with the people and Pastor. he has always liked our Pastor. He commented (regarding communion-he knew we don't have it during lent) when the acolyte light the 2 altar candles and he had a question about the candles on the processional cross. He slept (on my lap) through most of the sermon....or so I thought. On the way home he brought up the fact that they 'gambled for Jesus' clothes) so we discussed it and how painful crucifixion is. After I dropped him off at his other grandparents house I watched a little of Extreme Couponing on TLC and finally folded the 2 baskets of clothes that have been waiting for me for several days.

That brings me to this (early) morning. I was planning to stay home and clean, do laundry, bake, and make some cards. But no, I have to go the grocery store and get chocolate chips for the Amish bread that I will bake today but I should have baked it yesterday. J and I love the chocolate chip bread, I'll also make the plain (hubby eats that), and if I can find a recipe for it I'd like to try it with bananas. I can't find the chocolate chips I had....maybe I ate them???? ;-) As long as I am out I'll drop off some more books....I still have 2 boxes left, even though I drop some off several times a week. Oh yeah, I hve to put gas in my car .....I've been putting that off....yesterday it was $3.75 gal.

Next is friday.... YAY!!!!! I and bff are going to Archivers to take this class....that's why I have to fill my gas tank. Hopefully we can leave early and stop at Savers (thrift store) first. We want to get back early enough for 'Happy Hour' at a friends home.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Three Dimensional Flowers

'Debbie Downer' has left the building and has been replaced with chocolate lovin' Linda. I saw a video showing these 3 dimensional flowers last night and I took the afternoon off to play...no one will see my dirty dishes except me and I don't care if they don't get washed until after a delicious supper consisting of some sort of frozen dinner. OK, I took some double sided paper and punched out seven 1-1/4"circles. You could use any size of circle punch. Fold in one side and then the next to form a cone shape. Place side by side (point in the center) to form a flower and glue down with your favorite adhesive, no glue dots needed for the dimension. I THINK 1 first class stamp would be sufficient. I like the button center (a tribute to Shirley from FL) but you could use a punch from the same patterned paper.
I received my Vagabond last week and did some experimenting yesterday. I used the hard plastic packaging from something I bought and ran it through with embossing plates. The paisley butterfly was sprayed with a glitter Shimmer mist, it doesn't really show up. I think I will try a color on one of the other items.

Trivia Time

While I am having my morning tea and eating chocolate chip Amish bread I thought I'd share some of my thoughts.

What I heard while laying in bed and listening to the radio early this morning:
1) Southwest Airlines has had 2 'malfunctions' in the past week....that is the airlines Hubby took to and will be returning from AZ on....makes ya think, eh?

2) Cover a burn with flour to prevent blisters. I checked this on Snopes.com and it is only an old wives tale, running cool water over the affected area is the still the best action.

Today I have my usual Monday morning errands....I wanted to meet a friend for coffee, but she is busy :-( We scheduled a date for next Monday. My budget has to be worked out!!! (Maybe if I post my intentions it will get done) This afternoon I am going to work on a new flower making technique for cards or scrapbooks, I will post the results tonight (I hope).

After a day of rain, snow, thunder & lightening, and hail yesterday today we just have gray. It's above freezing tho....(trying to look on the bright side). Tomorrow morning we will have sun (YES) and high 40's, the snow will be melting again.

Guilty pleasures/ Meet Me On Monday

Desperate Housewives is one of the few TV shows I regularly watch. Tonight there was finally a new episode. I don't know if it's because it's been so long between new shows or if the story line is just not that interesting anymore....but I'm just not that into that program as much as I used to be. I used to just look so forward to Sunday nights so I could watch it.

And while we are on the subject of TV, Friday nights use to be so good for wasting time in front of the 'tube'. I'd watch What Not To Wear and then some HGTV shows...but not anymore. Now there are hours of wedding dress programs (the name escapes me).

Maybe there is a message in that for me - I should be working my scrapbooks instead????

It's time for Java's Meet Me On Monday. http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-me-on-monday.html

Questions:
1. If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Only one???? a sandwich???? (that might be cheating)

2. Do you write your blog posts in advance or the day you post them? the day I post them, as it pops into my mind, I am not a 'professional' blogger

3. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yup, auto accident (broken femur) in 1983....wow, that is decades ago

4. What is your favorite candle scent? vanilla

5. Coffee or tea? TEA, hot or cold, and unsweet

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Dysfunctional families

Sometimes I just wanna move under a rock in the sunshine and crawl under the "radar". The weekend seemed like it'd be a good one. K left before noon for his vacation....a few minutes later bff picked me up and we met her sister for some shopping and an early supper. I picked up grandson J and baby L came over a bit later. SS E was pleasant and cheerful. Baby L??? he doesn't know us or my house so he had a couple of screaming fits. After dad picked him up J and I made some popcorn and he went to bed. I watched TV for a bit. Took him to Sunday School (he loves it), came home & he made a card for Granddaughter A, and then mom picked him up.

Weeeeellllll person X accused me of gossiping, when I asked what I said I got "you know, if I tell you you will just say you didn't say it". Some of my friends were brought into it and I called them to see what they had to say (not that I distrust them, just looking to find out what X is talking about). Person Y wouldn't answer the phone....so here I sit. Chest pounding, tears flowing, and clueless. If it wasn't for person B I would just disassociate myself from them.

Bff and SIL calmed me down and I will now try to let it go. This is so hurtful. I'd like to know what I am accused of. ....

a couple of hours later.....I did talk to person Y and it wasn't that big of a deal. X likes to blow things way out of proportion. I feel so much better, even tho I did not accomplish much.

I did make Gnochhi soup http://lindaloveschocolate.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-love-this-soup.html

Tonight I have to make a birthday card for A......love you! sorry I am late again with the card.
I guess the best thing is that I won't have to use eye makeup remover tonight. ;-) And......I think there is a new Desperate Housewives episode on tonight....I hope, I hope.

BTW my life normally does not have such drama.....

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Do you have those days/weeks?

Some days/weeks I just don't have anything to say, I don't feel creative nor did I do anything exciting......this appears to have been one of those weeks....it started out good but went downhill quickly.

Wednesday was a slow day at work, I was looking for things to do. Grandson J and I went to the church supper and service. He is such a social butterfly (like his dad), he wanted to sit by and visit with his Sunday school friends and teachers. Good thing he gets along with girls b/c he is the only little boy there. Thursday I got some (not enough) housework done and ran errands. I was tired and went to bed early. After work on Friday hubby picked up fish lunches for us (he never wants to go out anymore), I washed the dishes and spent the rest of the night reading. Maybe it's my cold or maybe it's just me.

I finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I liked it, but as someone else said, it's a little too wordy. I skimmed over some of the long explanations/details. I was a reading manic b/c it was an ebook I borrowed from the library. Today I will pick up an actual book for our next book club discussion.

Today hubby is leaving for a week in AZ, it's the guys annual golf trip. I am not sure why he goes, he doesn't show any excitement, never talks about it, and is not even packed (he leaves in 4 hours). That shouldn't surprise me....he never shows emotion. He is not very social, he either sits in front of TV in the family room all day or upstairs at his desk all day (working on his sports cards collection. He is NOT a talker, especially to me. I guess I am just use to it...note...I did not say I like it. I am rather independent and have learned to rely on myself at a young age....so I deal with it.

Hopefully next week will be more interesting.